Motion in One Dimension Name:

Describing Motion Verbally with Speed and Velocity

Read from Lesson 1 of the 1-D Kinematics chapter at The Physics Classroom:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/1DKin/U1L1d.html
MOP Connection: Kinematic Concepts: sublevels 3 and 6

Review:
1. A _________ quantity is completely described by magnitude alone. A __________ quantity is
completely described by a magnitude with a direction.
a. scalar, vector b. vector, scalar
2. Speed is a __________ quantity and velocity is a __________ quantity.
a. scalar, vector b. vector, scalar

Speed vs. Velocity

Speed and velocity are two quantities in Physics that seem at first glance to have the same meaning.
While related, they have distinctly different definitions. Knowing their definitions is critical to
understanding the difference between them.
Speed is a quantity that describes how fast or how slow an object is moving.
Velocity is a quantity that is defined as the rate at which an object's position changes.

3. Suppose you are considering three different paths (A, B and C) between the same two locations.

Along which path would you have to move with the greatest speed to arrive at the destination in the
same amount of time? __________ Explain.

4. True or False: It is possible for an object to move for 10 seconds at a high speed and end up with an
average velocity of zero.
a. True b. False
5. If the above statement is true, then describe an example of such a motion. If the above statement is
false, then explain why it is false.

6. Suppose that you run for 10 seconds along three different paths.

Rank the three paths from the lowest average speed to the greatest average speed. __________
Rank the three paths from the lowest average velocity to the greatest average velocity. __________

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Calculating Average Speed and Average Velocity

7. You run from your house to a friend's house that is 3 miles away in 30 minutes. You then
immediately walk home, taking 1 hour on your return trip.

a. What was the average speed (in mi/hr) for the entire trip? _______________

b. What was the average velocity (in mi/hr) for the entire trip? __________ ___

8. A cross-country skier moves from location A to location B to location C to location D. Each leg of the
back-and-forth motion takes 1 minute to complete; the total time is 3 minutes. The unit of length is
meters.

Calculate the average speed (in m/min) and the average velocity (in m/min) of the skier during the
three minutes of recreation. PSYW

Ave. Speed = Ave. Velocity =

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